Former agnostic, now Christian

[frankiej]

This medium is so difficult for communication sometimes.

It can be, yes... Especially for someone like me, who is hardly ever serious about anything.

[Epimethean]

I will be more careful I guess the trick is to never assume anyone will take what you mean to be the case unless it is explicitely stated. This medium is so difficult for communication sometimes.

Much easier than clay, I am told.

[ElDinero]

Brilliant usual lack of logical thought process here.

I USED TO THINK PEOPLE WHO HAD SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCES WERE HAVING DELUSIONS, UNTIL I HAD A SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCE THAT COULDN'T POSSIBLY BE A DELUSION

I haven't read further than the stuff about evolution on page 2. This guy's clearly away with the fairies.

[Erinome]

Hello. Welcome to the forums.

For the record, and up front-

I am incapable of sincerely believing that you were once a skeptical agnostic, and are now a Christian. I know a lot of Christians just like to say that because it adds impact to their claim of a supernatural experiences and faith. Do you think that your mind is so exceptional that it is incapable of delusion? Silly! You have an animal brain just like the rest of us. It is highly susceptible to any form of psychosis. If you were REALLY a skeptic, you would have questioned it tirelessly, maybe even seeking professional help until you had found the truth behind your gloriously spiritual euphoria.

I am not calling you a liar, but I am suggesting that you may not have ever been what you thought you were.

If you are not already familar with it, there is something called no true Scotsman fallacy. You cannot automatically assume that because this poster was once considered themselves a "sceptical agnostic", they would do automatically x, in the event they experienced y.

I will admit I am very sceptical sometimes when I hear some Christian say they were once an atheist. However I am also aware if I were to assume that about that particular Christian, I would be committing the no true scotsman fallacy.

It's what we call "Hustling in reverse"

---

Brilliant usual lack of logical thought process here.

I USED TO THINK PEOPLE WHO HAD SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCES WERE HAVING DELUSIONS, UNTIL I HAD A SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCE THAT COULDN'T POSSIBLY BE A DELUSION

I haven't read further than the stuff about evolution on page 2. This guy's clearly away with the fairies.

It isn't a delusion if you're fully aware that it's a delusion.

[KichigaiNeko]

Yes poor "old" Lueeee is away with the "Fairies" ...but hey he has his 'Special friend ' that trumps your 'spacial friend' nananana!!

How childish is this kid??

[Justtristo]

Some people like to think they are descended from some guy created out of dirt and some woman cloned out of his rib, which effectively makes that woman his identical twin sister.

I would rather take being descended ultimately from "pond scum" or "lightning in a mud puddle" over that story any day of the week.

[Zen Badger]

I don't ignore facts, I think my faith in God is reasoned and reasonable. I was a proponent of evolution when I became a Christian, and I assumed at the time that Genesis wasn't literal and that there had been some sort of guided evolution which had taken place. I was suprised to learn, when I actually investigated evolution, that it was predicated on a number of unproven assumptions, and that there wasn't a shred of real evidence that it actually happened. I had always assumed that it was true, as it was taught to me as fact, but upon investigation it doesn't hold up.

I'm sure we would all be interested to hear what these unproven assumptions are and what your investigation consisted of.

[Cyberman]

Sorry if I'm throwing this thread into reverse, just trying to catch up.

you still can't discard the possibility of a hallucination, it would be ignorant to do so.

Not only ignorant, but also highly arrogant.

I don't ignore facts, I think my faith in God is reasoned and reasonable. I was a proponent of evolution when I became a Christian, and I assumed at the time that Genesis wasn't literal and that there had been some sort of guided evolution which had taken place. I was suprised to learn, when I actually investigated evolution, that it was predicated on a number of unproven assumptions, and that there wasn't a shred of real evidence that it actually happened. I had always assumed that it was true, as it was taught to me as fact, but upon investigation it doesn't hold up.

I'm sure we would all be interested to hear what these unproven assumptions are and what your investigation consisted of.

Yes, me too, seeing that many branches of science owe their very existences to the principle of evolution. It's the reason why medical science can treat things such as diabetes and urinary tract infections, while faith and praying... doesn't.

Sorry, Lucent, (and welcome aboard, by the way) but evolution has been known about since the time of the Ancient Greeks; though the precise mechanism hadn't been discovered until Charles Darwin's day, people have known enough about how it works to produce all the varieties of fruit and veg, not to mention different breeds of animals, that we take for granted today. Bananas must get a special mention here as one of the most spectacularly embarrassing creationist own goals in history.

You claim not to ignore facts and then promptly disregard anything that doesn't fit the conclusion you have already drawn. Yet you seemed so specific in your initial posts. Surely if whatever converted you into any religious position was so convincing you could... in fact, if it's that life-changing you most certainly would... present it without hesitation. It was clearly something of immense importance to you; what's the harm in sharing? If it's as irrefutable as you claim, then surely it'll withstand any criticism we poor godless heathens might throw at it.

Or perhaps you aren't as certain in your faith as you think?

[salty]

Yay! Welcome!! I'm so happy to hear about your transformation!

[ElDinero]

Salty, I'm so glad to see you're still here. How are you getting on with destroying your worldview with science literature? Have you found out that evolution has been happening for millions of years yet, or are you still enjoying your ridiculous 6000 year old Earth bubble?